Board XI team to tour Bermuda next month have fallen through.

The West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WICBC) announced a squad of 14 yesterday for the June 17-28 tour, which will comprise six matches, and Barbadian Roland Holder will be the man in charge.

It was hoped that 23-year-old Lara, who blossomed during the Australian tour, would give the tour party a marquee player on the heels of Pakistan's visit, which was minus several stars including skipper Wasim Akram and vice-captain Waqar Younis.

Nevertheless, the side picked is full of players on the rise who could soon be battling for places in the Test team of the unofficial world champions.

The team will be managed by former great Test fast bowler Charlie Griffith who is a member of the WICBC.

"(Lara) obviously was not available or not selected and the (WICBC) is unsure of his current committments,'' said WICBC secretary Steve Camacho yesterday.

"The team we have selected is a very promising one, that although young, is quite experienced and of more than average strength.

"It is a very important tour for most of (the players) as they have a chance of getting into the West Indies' squad, so they will be very serious about their performance in Bermuda.'' The West Indians' opposition has not yet been finalised by the Bermuda Cricket Board of Control, but president Ed Bailey confirmed that at least two matches will be against Bermuda national squad, with the possibility of one more, and a single match against the Bermuda Under 23s.

Other possibilities are one game each against the Cup Match clubs and reigning league champions, Western Stars.

Bailey indicated that the desire of the BCBC was to give members of the Bermuda team as much exposure as possible leading to the International Cricket Council tournament next year.

A national squad will be announced next week to train for the West Indies tour.

Holder, 25, is no stranger to local fans, having been here on two previous occasions with the Barbados Cavaliers, in 1988 and 1990. He took over the captaincy of Barbados last year and still holds aspirations of gaining a middle-order place in the Test team.

There are some exciting prospects coming who may have a better chance than the skipper, however, with opening batsmen Philo Wallace of Barbados and Robert Samuels of Jamaica, all-rounder Shivnarine Chanderpaul of Guyana and wicket-keeper Courtney Browne of Barbados among them.

Wallace and Samuels are seen as two of the front-runners for the spot that will be inevitably vacated by 37-year-old Desmond Haynes.

Wallace, 22, was here with the Cavaliers two years ago and impressed with his aggressive approach. He was a member of the West Indies team that toured Australia for the World Series Cup in 1991 with a top score of 52 coming against India.

Samuels, also 22, is a stylish left-hander who has made great strides after his position in the Jamaica batting finally settled at the top of the order with Delroy Morgan.

Chanderpaul is showing tremendous promise. And before Carl Hooper's fantastic performance in the third Test against Pakistan, the 18-year-old may have fancied his chances of an early call to the Test team after a fine century against Pakistan for the Under-23s.

His time seems destined to come and the left-hander should give the `A' team solidity in the middle order while testing the Bermuda batsmen with his right-arm leg breaks and googlies.

Browne has been the key man behind the stumps for Barbados since 1991 but there are questions about the 22-year-old's consistency with the bat, which have delayed his progression to the senior team.

The fast bowling chores in Bermuda will be shared between Franklyn Rose of Jamaica, Sammy Skeete of Barbados, Eugene Antoine of Trinidad, and Cameron Cuffy and Casper Davis of the Winward Islands.

Jamaica's off-spinner Nehemiah Perry is the only specialist slow bowler in the team while Ridley Jacobs of the Leeward Islands will share the wicket-keeping duties with Browne.

The full party is as follows: Roland Holder, captain (Barbados), Stuart Williams (Leewards), Philo Wallace (Barbados), Robert Samuels (Jamaica), John Eugene (Windwards), Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Guyana), Ridley Jacobs (Leewards), Courtney Browne (Barbados), Franklyn Rose (Jamaica), Cameron Cuffy (Windwards), Casper Davis (Windwards), Nehemiah Perry (Jamaica), Sammy Skeete (Barbados), Eugene Antoine (Trinidad).

Manager: Charlie Griffith.

BRIAN LARA -- Celebrated Trinidadian batsman will not be part of West Indies' Board XI team touring Bermuda next month.